mason



(No Model.)

J. W; MASON.

FOLDING CHAIR.

No. 345,710. Patented July 20, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOEL W. MASON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO J. W. MASON & 00.,

OF SAME PLACE.

FO LDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,710, dated July 20, 1886.

Application filed February 2, 1886. Serial No. 190,643. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOEL W. MASON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding chairs; and its object is to improve that type of the folding chair which is particularly designed for the use of churches, class rooms, lecturerooms, 860., and which is commonly termed a devotional chair.

My chair possesses the usual advantages of the ordinary folding chair, and is readily collapsible'for carriage or stowage.

The invention consists in certain additions to the ordinary chair of the type designated, whereby it is rendered more serviceable and its strength increased.

The features of novelty for which I desire protection are pointed out in the claim at the end of this specification.

The accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, shows a view in perspective of a folding chair embodying my improvements.

Referring to the drawing, the letter A indicates the chair-seat, B B one set of legs, and G O the other set of legs. The seat A is pivoted at its sides, as usual, at the front and back to the legs, and when the chair is collapsed the seat folds up against the front surface of the chairs back in the ordinary manner. Both sets of legs are sufficiently curved at their lower ends to afford the requisite stability and support to the chair when in an open condition, and the legs B B are slightly curved at their upper ends to give the proper conformation to the chairs back, which is formed by those portions of the legs B B which extend above the seat A, and by the vertical slats a and horizontal slats b. The.

two sets of legs are connected together, as shown, by the pivot-and-slot joint commonly employed in folding chairs. The legs 0 G are secured against lateral separation or spreading at their ends by the rod E.

To give the back of the chair additional strength, and afford a comfortable rest for the arm, when desired, I provide its top with the flat and comparatively broad piece D, which is securely connected to the upper extremity of the pieces B B, as shown.

At the back of the chair above the seat I affix to the legs B B the book-rack F, as shown. This rack is of dimensions sufficient to receive a book or books of moderate size and thickness, but is not so large as to interfere with the stacking of the chairs in stowing or transporting them. I secure to the legs 0 0, abo e the pivots in the legs B B, a rod, G, and

' below said pivots I attach to the same legs the bar or piece H. To the legs B B, I secure the bar or piece I, also below the pivots. The pieces H I, when the chair is in an open condition, are in the same plane, while the rod or bar G is in a higher plane. By this arrangement of the pieces G H I, I provide a convenient hat-rack, the hat resting upon the two lower pieces H I, and being prevented from falling forward beneath the feet of the person occupying the chair by the rod G, as clearly shown in the drawing. Besides serving as a hat-rack, it is obvious that these bars also add materially to the strength of the chair, as they act as tie-rods and prevent spreading of the legs of the chair under the weight of the occupant.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a folding chair, a hat support arranged beneath the seat of the chair, and comprising the rod G and bars H I, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 24th day of December, A. D. 1885.

JOEL W. MASON.

Witnesses:

J. T. SMITH; W. H. HOSFORD. 

